Avalanche long term reliability
 

Who has the oldest Avalanche with lots of run time on it. I just bought one for my son and I want to know if there is anything I need to worry about wearing out or going bad in the long run. Besides the obvious. It looks to be built very well. I had problems with tire foams on our Tsunami. Will this be a problem. Anything with steering, bearings, a arms etc or has it been totally relaible. Anything that needs to be upgraded. Opening the box I saw oil all over inside and to find out that I have 2 shocks that leak. 1 rear and 1 front. I hope this is not the start of the problems. I installed 60wt shock oil and adjusted the suspension. From about 3-4ft up I can drop it and it will not bottom out but yet its still soft. I have to get 2 shocks replaced. I fixed the exhaust problem with it rubbing the fuel tank, tightened all the screwes and used locktite where I thought it should be used. I still need to cut holes in the body for engine and air. To me it looks very tough. Better than alot of monster trucks that I have seen. Definately better than my TMaxx. Again I just need long term reliability, upgrades and possible problem info.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

Replace the steering servo and throttle servo. The steering servos have what looks to be aluminum gears and so far every 1/8th scale we've sold we've ended up selling a steering servo shortly after break in. No need to keep warrantying the steering servo over and over every couple weeks, unless of course that's what the buyer wants to do. Other than that, I can't see anything that would wear prematurely. I say the thorttle servo because it's the stock plastic gear servo and they get weak very fast trying to pull those brakes and stop all that weight, besides isn't that the most important servo on the truck anyway :D.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

Yah I did notice the steering servo sounded odd and felt weird. It is pretty quick though. Does anyone know what oz steering servo is in it?

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

I already burned up the bearings in my clutch bell. I would suggest a set of good sealed bearings. I also broke the plastic mount for the rear diff brace, and am getting an aluminum one to replace it.

My tire foam is already getting kinda weak, especially in the rear.

My shocks are really soft too, i want to put some heavier weight oil in them as well.

I also stripped the servo horn on the steering servo. I figured im going to need to get a better steering servo anyway so i just superglued the damn thing back on for now. Fixed it though, and im going to get an aluminum horn when i get an upgraded servo.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

Is this breakage under normal use? If the steering servos are crap then why wouldn't Redcat make good on them? I can't see why anyone would have to go through a warranty process more then once for the same part? Also, since we are talking warranty then I assume these are relatively short term breakages.

Seriously, I have been on the fence for the past week on whether to buy an Avalanche or a Traxxas Nitro Stampede / Nitro Sport and it's threads like this that seem to enforce what everyone else is saying about Redcat. Stay away...Don't buy it...

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

you will be much happier with a avalanche then a traxxas n stampede or n sport.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

mine isnt what i consider "normal use" i beat the living crap out of mine.

there is no comparison between an avalanche and a stampede. and you will pay at least $100 more for a revo or tmaxx.

from what ive gathered from reading abou them, pretty much any RTR rc has a pretty low level radio system, and everyone usually says to upgrade the radios and servos. I havent had any problem with the radios on my tsunami or avalanche. the tsunami did burn up the steering servo, but that was after a gallon or more of fuel.

Stuff like the servo horn though, that was from a crash on my dumb part because i tried to drive with one hand while reaching in my pocket for my temp gun. the clutch bearings were my fault to, i assumed they were oiled already from the factory, and we know what assume means

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

benny,

My son had a stampede and he now has a tsunami and will be getting the avalanche for christmas. I can tell you that teh avalanche is built way better than a t maxx and stampede. I have a t maxx and it is nothing compaired to the avalanche. I bought another redcat because I have had good luck with them and like most here has. The avalanche I would put up against more expensive trucks because of the way its built. It looks very tough. I just wanted to know the normal things that go wrong just like any other truck. You always look to upgrade weak parts on anything. I REALLY like the avalanche even though I have not even driven it yet because I have been in rc for over 15yrs you can usually tell when something is really cheap. The Tsunami is a cheap but durable starter truck. Now my son has outgrown the speed and size of the tsunami so I moved him up to the avalanche. Yes I could have got him a monster gt, savage or aftershock but I trust redcat products, lots of support and ease of getting parts if needed. Plus I wanted him to have something different.

I took the avalanche to my local hobby shop to show the owner which has been interested in the redcat line. He wanted to see the top of the line redcats. Avalanhe, monsoon and hurricane. When he saw the avalanche he was very impressed on the build quality. He said he does not understand how redcat can have a truck like this at such a cheap price and he said it also came with a good name brand engine. He carries alot of name brands and said he would get rid of some of his stock to carry trucks like this. Now this is coming from the owner of the hobby shop and as we all know most owners or hobby shop employees frown against the chinese rc's.

I think if it were any other chinese brand I would look the other way. The stampede is a tonka toy compaired to the avalanche.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

Another great thing is this forum, i dont think you will find a better group of people willing to help you out. I have gotten a ton of useful info from this forum and its one of the reasons i stayed with redcat when i moved up from the tsunami.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

Thanks for the fast response... It's nice to hear something good for a change from people who have been using these products. I have been going crazy researching this stuff for the past week... I finally settled on either the "name brand" Traxxas 1:10 or the Redcat 1:8 ... (although Himoto 1:8 could be a close third, someone said they are the same as redcat???). My gut feel is that the redcat product is good but it seems there is more negative press than positive right now in most of the forums.

I really want the 1:8 but my budget puts me in the 1:10 if I go with a "name brand". I read that the 1/8 are much better then the 1/10 scale.

My fear is to have a $300 paper weight... The guy at my local LHS said that every single part in the traxxas has a part number. Does anyone know if this true of the redcat? Is there any part on this truck that can not be replaced?

ps. Tomanytoys... sorry I hijacked your post... I will not ask anymore offtopic questions.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

yea redcat has a pn for every piece on the truck, and redcat and other venders (clermont, allaboutfunhobbies) have great service and fast shipping. parts are not expensive, and the engine replacement program works really well too.

if your between a 1/10 traxxas and 1/8 redcat go redcat. hands down there is no comparison. The 1/8 redcats are built tough, built to last, built to be beat on, and the .sh engine is fantastic. powerful and easy to tune.

even the difference between the 1/10th and 1/8th redcats is amazing. I beat the hell out of my little tsunami and it keeps ticking, and the avalanche is like going from a honda civic to a sherman tank. night and day.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

Everything can be replaced on the redcat. And as for 1/8 scale even the redcat is going to be tougher than ANY 1/10 scale name brand. 1/8 scale is just built sooo much better and stronger than 1/10 scale. You wont get much positive in other forums because either most that comment bad about redcat has not owned one or reads other people saying they are crap. If you read on the redcat forum you WONT read much bad. Yes you get broken parts here and there but thats expected. A few years back I got burnt on a cheap nitro truck and it left a bad taste in my mouth. So when my son wanted an rc I gor him a stampede and I got a t maxx. Well the stamped held up very well but its limited. The t maxx I had to upgrade the crap out of it so I could run it for once without something going wrong. My son outgrew the electric stampede so I was on a mission to find a decent nitro truck. Then I found this forum I did tons and tons of reading and actuallt Ehroof talked me into the tsunami for my sons first truck. I have had very good luck with redcat and again Ehroof recommended and highly praises the avalanche. He has TONS of rc's from name brand to redcat and he said the avalance is one of his favorites. So now I bought him the avalanche. He was right. It is built like a tank and looks to take a beating. After my first bad experience with a cheap nitro I was very hesitant in buying another one but finding this forum made it alot easier to take the plunge.

There is nothing here that pisses me off more than someone that knocks a product and they have no clue or first hand experience on the product. How do you think xtm, sportwerks, etc.. started. they were small companies like redcat but when they started there were no forums this big for people to bash or get word out about a product. Redcat did have a somewhat crappy product over a year ago but from what I understand they are under new ownership and management which totally changed the redcat name for the better. Like I said I dont have any runtime on the avalanche but from experience I know it will be a great truck. If you saw one in real life you would see that it is built very well. Now I just ignore all the haters because I know they are full of *****!

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

Well was going to say somthing about that, but you guys have it coverd! lol,

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

ok...I just ordered my Avalanche. Keep the posts coming about long term reliability and I will be sure to share my experience (once I get some that is)

Thanks for all the support.

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

very cool, you will love it. break it in right and it will treat you good

RE: Avalanche long term reliability
 

I will tell you this, i bought a duratrax warhead EVO, and the first start on the truck the main gear was GONE, just flat out ragged. This is a name brand truck. Knowing what i now know i would buy the avalanche instead of the EVO. The LHS wont like them because they really dont know much about them. You have made the right choice.